Zara McDermott says \'Love Island\' viewers feel "entitled" to know everything about the relationships.
The 22-year-old reality star - who split from ex Adam Collard in February after meeting on the ITV2 dating show last summer - has opened up about having a romance in the public eye and how challenging it can be.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, she said: "Having a relationship break down in the public eye was one of the hardest things that I\'ve personally been through.
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"It challenged me mentally, emotionally and even physically.
"It\'s between you and everyone else who\'s followed you on that journey and that \'Love Island\' journey, and people feel that they are entitled to know and understand how you\'re feeling."
Zara - now dating \'Made In Chelsea\' star Sam Thompson - was speaking to the publication alongside a number of fellow former \'Love Island\' contestants, and Josh Denzel found himself worrying about what other people would think after his split from Kaz Crossley at the beginning of this year.
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He explained: "Break-ups are sh*t...But when you\'re famous, people feel like they own a bit of your relationship.
"I remember thinking: \'We\'re going to have to break up\'. But instead of thinking: \'How do I feel?\', it\'s: \'What\'s everyone going to say? What\'s the press coverage going to be like? What are all my boys going to say?\' "
And Marcel Somerville - who cheated on fitness guru Gabby Allen after meeting her on the show in 2017 - revealed he didn\'t go outside for "two weeks" after their split became public knowledge.
He said: "I was in a very public relationship and had a massive split up. It was all crazy.
"There was like press, there was trolls, it was mad. And I felt like, literally, \'what am I going to do, my life is ruined now.\' ... There was two weeks, I just didn\'t leave my house."
The full video can be viewed at Cosmopolitan.com/UK.
21 March 2026 - 6:13 PM
17 January 2026 - 3:01 AM
